BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Early morning shoppers usually look for the best deals, but workers near Bismarck’s Gateway Mall spotted a customer looking for something a bit more wild.
A moose is more at home in the woods than at a shopping center, yet one found itself at the Gateway Mall early Thursday morning.
The four-legged creature gave quite the scare to Emme Leigh, who was working the graveyard shift at her job. She spotted the female moose while doing her nightly security check around the hotel, an encounter that was definitely “a-MOOSE-ing,” to say the least, at 3 a.m.
Out of her peripheral vision, she watched a massive shadow “hoof it” into view.
“I thought it was a cow at first because it was so big. So I had to get my phone out, like, zoom in. And then I saw the elongated head,” said Leigh. “And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a moose.’”
In this video she took, you can see the visitor casually wandering around the parking lot, taking in the sights.
The Williston Police Department posted this picture of one near a school. They later wrote that the animal made it safely out of town.
The Williston Police Department posted this picture of one near a school. They later wrote that the animal made it safely out of town.(Williston Police Department)
North Dakota Game and Fish said moose often follow natural corridors in search of food and resources. They also say these “moose-on-the-loose” incidents can happen pretty often this time of the year, particularly for males.
“It’s coming up on their peak breeding season,” said Levi Jacobson, assistant wildlife chief. “So a lot of those younger males are out looking for a mate, so they’re covering ground, and they’ll find themselves in town occasionally.”
He said moose can be particularly aggressive when in breeding season, and they are not safe to approach out in public.
“Give them their space and don’t get too close to them,” said Jacobson. “But most of the time they’re harmless, and they don’t want to be in town any more than we want them in town. So they’ll move out on their own typically.”
Game and Fish received reports of her making tracks through the Bismarck, and they suspect she will find her way back home.
It reminds everyone that if you spot a moose in city limits, the best move is to steer clear, give them plenty of room and let them find their way back to nature.
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